Deco and Flick shake up Barça's exit operation
PSG wants Ferran and asks to negotiate with a club that will also get rid of Araujo, Casadó and Roony in the coming days
BarcelonaA goal in extra time of a World Cup final. The winning goal. A goal and a title that is about to change Ferran Torres' history. Surely without this goal, the footballer would have had a less eventful summer and who knows if with fewer suitors. But the fact is that the player from Foios has become one of the most popular players in the Spanish national team and, also, a strong candidate to leave Barça. So much so that the interest of Paris Saint-Germain has grown in recent weeks to become a priority objective. For the moment, nothing is done, but the probabilities that the forward, who is still on vacation, will not set foot in the blaugrana Sports City again are increasingly high.
From Barça they confirm that PSG's interest is real. That the club coached by Luis Enrique Martínez has already contacted them to open formal negotiations. From the technical secretariat, they say there is already an agreement between Ferran and the Paris team, and that the next step is to agree with Deco, the Barcelona technical secretary. "Negotiations with us have not begun, but they have communicated their interest to us," they confirm from the noble offices of Barça. The figure could be around 50 million.
Initially, Barça's plans with Ferran were not these. As this newspaper already explained, when Barça signed him from City in the winter of the 2021-22 season, they included a clause stating that, if he renewed, the English would receive a variable of eight million euros. Since this has an impact on fair play, the Blaugrana team wanted to wait until well into September to negotiate this contract extension. However, it seems there will be no point in waiting. Similarly, if Barça sells him for a figure higher than 55 million, City also collects a capital gain, which is why 50 million is a notable amount for a player whose contract ends in 2027.
Araujo will go on loan to Liverpool
Regardless of whether Ferran's departure is finalized or not - everything points to it being so, due to the player's desire to leave and because it's the last summer Barça can make money from him - the past few days have been very busy in the technical secretariat led by Anderson Luis de Souza, Deco, and close to midnight on Friday, journalist Fabrizio Romano advanced the agreement between Barça and Liverpool for the loan of Ronald Araujo.The Uruguayan center-back is not in Hansi Flick's plans, but at the same time, he was a highly valued player in the sports department. So, the option of a loan fit like a glove, also considering that Araujo is one of the footballers with a salary that is at the top end of the team's salary scale. The agreement, which is still pending formalization, is for one season. The red outfit will pay the player's entire salary (around 15 million euros gross). It has also been agreed that there will be a non-obligatory purchase option of 55 million euros.
Marc Casadó is also on the verge of leaving Barça. A starter in Hansi Flick's first games as coach, the midfielder has lost prominence in the last year and a half. The excess of players in midfield, and the more than probable incorporation of Rodri, force the club to dispense with one of the players in this area. Casadó has not traveled with the Barça expedition to Udine to play in the triangular, so as not to run risks with a possible injury.
In his case, the transfer could be to a club in Saudi Arabia, where he would be guaranteed minutes and a higher salary than he earns in Barcelona. Barça already rejected an offer of 10 million euros from Saudi football before the end of the 2025-26 season, which would have helped to balance the accounts. The club has valued Casadó at an amount ranging between 30 and 40 million, although, as this newspaper has learned, they could end up transferring him for a figure between 20 and 30 million. From the blaugrana entity they convey to ARA that the departure will not be "imminent" despite not having traveled to Udine.
Roony Bardghji has also not traveled, as he is not in the coach's plans. The Swedish winger did not have a good end to the season, when he played due to Lamine Yamal's injury. Furthermore, Barça has preferred to strengthen this area with the signing of Adeyemi. Roony will also leave Barça in the coming days, but it is not clear whether it will be in the form of a transfer or if the club will opt for a loan, trusting that if he gets minutes at a third club and his value increases, they can sell him for a higher figure next summer.
This string of departures will serve to give the blaugrana team even more salary margin, in a summer in which it has recovered normality – it is back to the 1:1 rule – and plans to make at least a major investment in signing a center forward.